Predatory salespeople are everywhere from the department stores
to car sales. Time and time again we've seen these salespeople hunt
like hounds trying to get their next sale, the next big commission. "Sell
at all costs!" "Don't let them say no!"
No wonder we're afraid of selling. We don't want to hunt
people down, we don't want to take their money without consent,
and we don't want to sell them something they don't need.
You Don't Have to Do That!
Those salespeople have it all wrong. You don't have to pressure
anyone to get a sale. In fact, I'll go as far as to say that you
don't even want those people who succumb easily to sales
pressure. You want these people to know what they're getting, up
front, and have no remorse over the buying process.
The informed consumer is the repeat consumer.
I'll give you an example: Several years ago, I was in communications
with a business person who had some very specific needs. (And very specific
questions.) Over the course of several months we communicated via email
and telephone several times a week. We weren't even talking about
costs we were talking about the schematics of working with a virtual
business. "How would we do x virtually?" "Can Y be virtual,
or would there have to be some physical correspondence involved?"
"Is Z possible in a virtual situation, and if so, how does it work?"
This gentleman was really doing his homework. And I really didn't
mind. We were building a great rapport, he was generating referrals for
my business, and he was learning a great deal about the virtual assistance
industry. All his questions were valid I had no problem answering
a question that would have taken him too much time to find the answer
on his own.
After about six months of correspondence, he finally signed a contract
with me. We agreed upon a five-year term (almost unheard of within the
VA industry), during which time he would continue to generate referrals
for my business. He's still working with me to this day, seven years
later.
He was informed and comfortable in his decision and this made
all the difference.
So the moral of the story is this shut up, listen, and
answer your consumers' questions.
There are only three steps to selling none of which have anything
to do with a pushing anyone into buying.
In order to sell, you have to connect!
Primarily, you have to connect with a person - you want to be talking
with someone not at them. Build rapport. Ask them about
their business, their situation, and listen whole-heartedly. You need
to figure out where they are in their situation, and use this Q&A
time to help you formulate responses to cater to their needs. Don't
forget to take notes!
Now talk a little about their expectations of the relationship. If you're
a coach, for example, ask them how they expect coaching to help them within
the next three months. Ask them how they expect the coaching relationship
to work. Ask lots of 'why' questions they'll
help you more later. ("Why do you feel you need a coach?"
"Why do you want to achieve x?")
After you've talked about their expectations, tell them the reality
of your business. Tell them specific outcomes you can help them achieve,
and present case studies if possible. In all matters, be honest. Don't
over-hype anything
be straight and they'll appreciate you
for it.
Now you can persuade
Now is your turn to talk. Talk about their problems. Take their expectations
and their situation and tell them their problems in your own words. If
you understand their situation, they will be able to tell. Don't
fake concern or empathy but do be understanding of their needs.
Speak of their problems as if they asked you a 'why' question
"You need x, y, & z because you need a & b to
function appropriately for outcome N".
Also talk about their outcomes in your own words "If I understand,
you need x, y, & z; and you want ABC to happen because of it, correct?"
The more your relay your competence of their situation, the more comfortable
they'll be with you. Approach this as you would approach an elementary
school student with a difficult math question rephrase so you
both understand, and make sure you have ALL the elements. Without all
the elements, you can't fully understand their needs.
Once you're comfortable with their needs and desired outcomes,
present your solution. DO NOT use a canned 'solution
statement', you truly need to cater all your responses to their
specific needs. Speak of their future, your future, and how they intertwine.
You want this to be seen as a group effort not just a one-sided
deal. You can't possibly solve all their problems, but you are always
on their side. Let them know your vested interest, and they'll appreciate
it.
Let's not close let's agree
Now that you've talked with them about their needs, how you can
help, and any other items that need discussion, you should be ready to
come to an agreement. You should both agree by now that their needs and
your solution are a good fit. If you don't feel you're a good
fit, move on.
Make them an offer. Tell them how you intend on helping them, how you
plan to work together, and how long you plan to work together. DO NOT
discuss money until this point.
(If the question arises beforehand, don't evade the question,
but don't give them a precise estimate. I've always used the
phrase "We need to cover some more information before I can give
you a solid quote because pricing is based on individual needs".
Give a ballpark estimate if necessary.) Go over your pricing &
procedures, and offer to send them a formal proposal & contract. You're
done!
As you can see, selling isn't what you think it is. No one wants
to talk to a pushy salesperson, and now you have the tools to be an effective
salesperson. Just remember to prepare, relax, shut up and sell!
